The New Morgan Plus Four

The latest Morgan Plus Four has been revealed, and it looks to be a perfect example of the company’s quality craftsmanship and engineering.

Continuing the legacy of Morgan’s longest-running model, this new Plus Four has been upgraded in its design, performance, and technology. These changes have been made using findings from the 70-year production run of the car.

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Massimo Fumarola, Chief Executive Officer, Morgan Motor Company, said: “We are proud to continue Plus Four’s incredible legacy – one that stretches back to 1950 – with this latest model, honouring the spirit of the original car yet reimagining it for today. The latest Plus Four is unmistakably a Morgan for today’s discerning customer.

“The importance and responsibility when evolving this longstanding nameplate is not lost on the team at Pickersleigh Road. Whilst other models within our lineup offer greater opportunity for experimentation, Plus Four requires a more delicate approach. We believe that the new features and detail culminate to create a fitting evolution and an immediate impression of a more refined, usable, and quality sports car, yet one that remains playful and fun.

“The introduction of the latest Plus Four also brings a renewed approach to vehicle design, engineering, quality, and production at Morgan. Through greater internal collaboration we have been able to further champion the qualities that make Morgan special, whilst creating even more compelling sports cars for our global community of customers.”

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Morgan Plus Four – What’s New?

The goal for the new Morgan Plus Four was to make it look simpler and cleaner, while still highlighting its classic shape. Changes have been made to the front and back by adding new lights, wings, a front splitter, a rear diffuser, and special number plate holders. These changes give the car a fresh look and a tidier appearance.

The headlights and taillights are brand new and were designed specifically for Morgan by its in-house design and engineering teams. The lights are bigger than before, providing better visibility on the road, as well as returning to more traditional proportions. Also, the indicators and the lights have been combined into a single unit, allowing for the removal of separately mounted indicator units.

The car’s wings, both at the front and the back, have been redesigned using a cold-forming technique to give them a smoother surface. This makes the new Plus Four look more sculpted and elegant, catching the light in a better way.

Other features include a new front splitter and a new rear diffuser, both of which have a floating number plate plinth. Both of these are finished in dark matte grey. This design feature is a throwback to older Morgan sports cars, many of which featured no front undertray or bumpers, giving the new Plus Four a classic touch.

A new model badge features Morgan’s own H.F.S. Bold typeface. Inspired by car badges that used italicised typefaces and repeating speed lines, the badge is a modern interpretation of classic automotive branding.

Both the rear-view mirror and wing mirrors are new. Each has been designed in-house and is manufactured exclusively for Morgan and is made from lightweight aluminium.

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Jonathan Wells, Chief Design Officer, Morgan Motor Company, said: “To think of a Morgan is to picture the unmistakable silhouette of the Plus Four. During this exciting time in the company’s history, whilst we look towards broader visual experimentation across our model range, the continuous evolution of Plus Four – our time-proven brand anchor – is rightly afforded a more delicate approach.

“The changes we have made – as with any longstanding design-led product – consider the delicate balance between tradition and innovation. For the latest Plus Four, we are proud to present an extensive list of component design updates that come together to deliver an undeniably refreshing yet reputably authentic impression.

“The wings have been entirely reformed with a greater level of intelligent surfacing to control highlights and add poise. Our new headlights feature the latest illumination technology yet were born of a desire to address a more traditional and balanced frontal proportion. Our new mirrors are now formed of beautifully machined aluminium. Strategic design simplification has reduced visual distraction and celebrates enhanced quality at a component level throughout.”

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The Driving Experience

The Morgan Plus Four is all about the driving experience, focusing on how it feels rather than just its speed or lap times. The engineers at Morgan worked hard to make sure driving this car is enjoyable and gives the driver a strong connection to the road. As a result, you can get the Plus Four with either a manual or automatic gearbox which is powered by a 2-litre BMW engine.

The latest Plus Four also has some changes to its suspension to make the ride even better. There’s also an option called the Dynamic Handling Pack, which Morgan developed with Nitron, experts in suspension. This pack includes new spring rates and re-valved dampers along with a rear anti-roll bar. These changes make the Plus Four even more fun to drive while still keeping that special connection between the driver and the car.

Morgan has also updated the interior of the Plus Four to make it more user-friendly and comfortable. They’ve added a Sennheiser audio system, enhancements to the LCD screen and dashboard, new interior illumination, and a new key fob.

The lightweight Sennheiser audio system, first introduced to Plus Four in 2022, has been enhanced for the latest Plus Four. The enhanced system utilises additional ‘invisible’ speakers in the cockpit, specifically underneath both seats, and higher-specification conventional speakers within the doors. Reflecting the changes to exterior lighting, new interior lighting has also been added.

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Matt Hole, Chief Technical Officer, Morgan Motor Company, said: “The latest Plus Four represents a fitting evolution of our longest established nameplate and delivers an even greater Morgan experience to our customers around the world. It does this thanks to new dynamic improvements which deliver a more engaging level of performance, through myriad technology updates which improve the user’s interaction with the vehicle, and a range of quality enhancements which further increase engineering integrity. Achieving these refinements without detracting from the timeless integrity of Plus Four is down to the skill, dedication and collaboration of our teams and suppliers.”

A Modern Take On A Great Classic

The new Morgan Plus Four is available to order now, with the first models going into production in May 2024.

We are very much looking forward to seeing them out on the road alongside their classic counterparts.

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Classic Cars vs Electric Cars

There’s no getting away from the focus on going green. The automotive industry in particular has seen a drastic movement over to electrified vehicles to reduce the impact we have on the environment.

However, a study conducted by Footman James has shown that classic car ownership could actually be better for the planet than the current range of electric vehicles.

The Numbers

According to another study, conducted by Polestar, the production of their Polestar 2 (Standard Range, Single Motor) generates approximately 26 tonnes (26,000kg) of CO2 emissions. However, the average annual mileage of a classic car is 1,200 miles which produces just 563kg of CO2. This means that you could drive a classic car for around 46 years and still produce less emissions than the production phase alone of a Polestar 2!

Even stepping away from EVs for a second, a new Volkswagen Golf has a carbon footprint of 6.8 tonnes the day it leaves the factory – it would take an average classic 12 years to produce this.

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Classic Cars vs Electric Cars – Longevity

Something else to consider when weighing up classic cars vs electric cars is that, while there is no denying that a modern car and EVs produce less emissions while being driven, building new cars comes at a substantial environmental cost. By keeping classics on the road, fewer new cars need to be manufactured resulting in a smaller carbon footprint.

The second-hand car parts community is huge. Using these components in your classic means fewer new parts need to be made too. Not only that, but most EVs will have batteries that end up in landfills in a much shorter time than most classic cars have been on the road.

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The Point

The point of this article isn’t to argue that classic cars are better for the environment than electric vehicles. It’s about starting a conversation about how classic cars shouldn’t be immediately written off as bad for the environment. In fact, a car that has already been built is much more environmentally-friendly than building an electric one! That’s not just my opinion either, the data in the Footman James study backs this up.

Ultimately, I think there is room for classic cars and EVs on the road. One thing I’m always keen to stress is that the car has only been around for 140 years or so. In the grand scheme of things, this is no time at all. Despite being around for such a short time, the automotive industry has seen some monumental changes and developments – particularly in the last two decades.

While electric vehicles represent a potential solution, I don’t think that they are the sole solution. Whether it be synthetic fuel, hydrogen power, or something else yet to be discovered, the automotive industry will no doubt undergo even more significant changes in the coming years. However, whatever happens, I think it is important not to overlook classic cars as being a part of the greener future solution.